22 March - Social Welfare Payments And The Postal Dispute

Inneachar an leathanaigh

The Department of Social and Family Affairs have introduced special arrangements for payments by cheque during the duration of the current dispute at An Post.

Mary Coughlan, Minister for Social and Family Affairs, said today: "I would like to reassure our customers that arrangements have been put in place to ensure delivery of their payment cheques and I hope to see a speedy resolution of this dispute."

Cheques for customers outside the affected areas will be delivered as normal.

Cheque collection centres have been set up at Social Welfare Local Offices in affected areas where all Social Welfare cheques, including Supplementary Welfare Allowance cheques, can be collected. Customers should attend the appropriate centre on the day FOLLOWING their normal payment day and should bring photo ID and their Personal Public Service Number number.

Customers who normally collect their payment at their local post office, or have their payment lodged to a Bank/Building Society account will continue to receive their payment as normal. Customers can also leave in their Medical Certificates, Disability Claim Forms and Injury Benefit Claim Forms to the collection centres.

Out of an average of 1.6 million social welfare payments, 180,000 would be cheque payments